Puzzle sticks



s. L. BEDER 2,491,296

PUZZLE STICKS I INVENTOR.

Filed May 22, 1946 Dec. 13, 1949 Patented Dec. 13, 1949 PUZZLE STICKS Samuel L. Beder, New York, N. Y., assignor of one-half to Irwin F. Mills Associates, New York, N. Y.

Application May 22, 1946, Serial No. 671,496

This invention relates to improvements in puzzles and more particularly to picture puzzles affording distraction, especially for children and has for its object to provide a simple, eflicient andinexpensive device of this character.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an assembly of sticks of equal size and uniform square cross-section which bear on all sides thereof pictorial segments designed to provide in piece-meal fashion different sets of pictures complementarily displayable by piecing together, each in turn, the proper sides of the proper sticks abuttingly.

A further object thereof is to provide such puzzle sticks with respectively upper and lower variant color sections repeated alike on all four sides of all the sticks to constitute two picture backgrounds, so that four different sets of pictorial delineations may, complementarily, be displayed on all of said sticks.

With the above and other objects in view my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specifications and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the respective views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the puzzle sticks in picture displaying abutting assembly,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a box housing one half the area of the stick assembly,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the sticks in the box housing the same showing a picture assembly unit, a covering box for same being partially shown in dotted lines,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a box for housing the box and sticks shown in Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the complete box assembly showing one box mounted in picture displaying position on the other box, and

Figure 6 is a. side elevation of said box assembly.

In the drawings which are merely illustrative of my invention I disclose a stick assembly l consisting of a plurality of equal sized elongated sticks, each being square in cross-section, such as the sticks ll, l2, l3, l4, l which have the right angularly disposed sides l6 and ll of equal length each. All of these sticks have a line conspicuously displayed as at M centrally of each side of each stick to divide the stick assembly, when in abutting relationship for picture displaying purposes into respectively upper and lower differently colored or distinguishable areas forming different pictorial backgrounds N and O.

2 Claims. (Cl. 273-157) It will be seen that by delineating upon each of the four different sides of each stick, in both its upper and lower colored backgrounds N and 0 segments of pictures, that four different sets of pictures can be delineated upon each colored area of the stick assembly complementarily. It is also to be observed that the picture segments 18 in one colored area of the stick assembly will be disposed in upside down relationship with respect to the pictorial segments l9 delineated in the other colored area or background thereof. In this way a puzzling arrangement is had of the component pictorial segments delineated on all four sides of all sticks which calls for a nicety of discrimination and judgement on the part of those concerned with piecing the proper sides of the proper sticks together of either colored background of the stick assembly since the illusory characteristics of the piece-together puzzle are enhanced by such interchangeably positionable surfaces.

In order to encase the stick assemblies when in use or not in use, I provide a suitable box assembly consisting of an over-all encasing box and a display encasing box, the former being designated 24 and the latter 22, the latter being of one half the length of the former so as to contain one half the length of the assembled sticks only as shown in Figure 3 so that either colored area N or O of the sticks may interchangeably be displayed in projecting position outside of box 22. The sticks are introduced into box 22 through its open end 23, the other end of this box being closed. The longer box 24 is closed at one end 25 and at its opposite open end it has a finger receiving notch 26 for grasping box 22 when the latter is encased removably in box 24 as is done by slipping the open end of box 24 over the sticks as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3 until box 24 completely covers box 22.

When it is desired to place either colored pictorial area of the stick assembly in picture display position, box 22 with contained sticks will be removed from box 24, the latter box having a rectangular slot 21 cut out thereof transversely for the purpose of snugly receiving and holding the lower closed end of box 22 after causing the latter to project through slot 2'! so as to rest with its bottom on one of the parallel sides of box 24. This will hold box 22 in erect position upon box 24 as shown in Figure 5. The puzzle worker is thus able, with all parts in this display position to interchange the location of the sticks to match the component parts of any of the pictures of either set of four pictures delineated in either colored area N or O of the stick assembly seeing to it that all the sticks abut longitudinally side against side to make the stick assembly take on a unitary rectangular formation so either side thereof may be viewed from box 22 containing them. By reversing the ends of the sticks projecting outside this box a different colored area is displayed with a new range of four selective puzzle pictures.

What I claim is:

1. A puzzle consisting of a plurality of elori' gated blocks of similar size, each block being of square cross section, one half of the area of each of the four sides of said blocks having differently colored and unrelated fragmentary designs" than the other half, said fragmentary designs on one block being complemental when properly arranged in proximity to certain fragmentary designs on the other blocks, whereby when all the blocks are correctly arranged in juxtaposition, two different composite pictures appear, one picture displayed on the upper halves of the blocks collectively, one on the lower halves; each composite picture having its base adjoining the base of the other.

2. A device of the kind described comprising an assembly of similar sized and shaped oblong blocks, square in cross section, so that the sides of said blocks can be contacted in flush relationship, interchangeably, one half of the sides of each of said blocks being inscribed with fragmentary delineations of an ultimately composite picture, the other half with fragmentary delineations of a different composite picture, each picture when exposed to view having its base adjoining the other picture at the center of the exposed sides of said blocks.

SAMUEL L. BEDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,339,251 Yoriemoto May 4, 1920 1,676,641 Eschenbach July 10, 19 28 1,702,505 Groves Feb. 19,. 1929 2,205,332 Aste June 18, 1940 

